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Amatsu-Kami
Shinto Gods, Japanese gods | Identity = Public | Affiliation = | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = Ama | BodyType = Humanoid | AvgHeight = 6'0" | AvgWeight = 450 lbs | Eyes = 2 | Hair = Variable | Skin = Variable | NumberOfLimbs = 2 | NumberOfFingers = 5 | NumberOfToes = 5 | SpecialAdaptations = | UnusualFeatures = | Origin = Earth-Gods | GalaxyOfOrigin = | StarSystemOfOrigin = | HomePlanet = | PlaceOfBirth = Ama | Creators = Mike Oeming; Travel Foreman | First = Ares #3 | Overview = The Amatsu-Kami are a humanoid race of extradimensional beings that hale from Ama, a small pocket-dimension adjacent to Earth. An interdimensional nexus between Ama and Earth known as Ama-No-Hashidate, or the "Bridge of Heaven," once existed near the island of Honshu, although the nexus has since been severed. They are also known as the Shinto gods who have been worshiped by Japan's inhabitants as early as 10,000 BC into modern times, Shinto is still Japan's biggest religion although no longer the state religion it once was. | HistoryText = Origin Billions of years ago, Gaea in the form of Izanami and a young Amatsu-Kami; Izanagi ventured into a formless world that was dominated by a dark, primordial void where the ancient force of nature known as Amatsu-Mikaboshi existed and reigned alone. "Gaea" began to populate Earth with living creatures. Along with Izanagi the couple plunged a spear into the ocean and created the island that one day would be known as Japan. The couple created the rest of the Amatsu-Kami who later came to be worshipped as gods by the Humans of this land, which enraged Mikaboshi. His attempted to topple the fledgling Amatsu-Kami pantheon were foiled, and Mikaboshi was forced to descend to the netherworld of Yomi, where he remained for centuries. Later, when Izanami vanished after giving birth to the fire god Kagutsuchi, Izanagi believed she had perished and descended to Yomi, but his attempts to retrieve her from the land of the dead were unsuccessful. Ancient History Third Host In 1000 AD, the Third Host of the Celestials occurred, during which the aliens informed they would return 1,000 years later to judge Earth's right to continue existing. Izanagi attended the Council of Godheads meeting to discuss this threat. While the pantheons prepared for war, Gaea planned a peaceful solution to the problem with many goddesses. For the next thousand years, they searched for humans representing mankind's highest ideals, to be offered to the Celestials as an offering. The goddesses placed the candidates in suspended animation, with their superhuman potential, the legacy of the First Host, awakened. Olympian-Amatsu-Kami War Millenia ago there was a war between the Olympians and the Amatsu-Kami. Zeus and Amatsu-Miksaboshi separately told a single blacksmith to forge a weapon for them. The blacksmith crafted two swords: one perfect, the other flawed. The perfect was called Grasscutter Sword and the flawed one was called Godkiller Sword. The war went on for millennia with no clear winner. Modern Era Ho Ti the god of happiness briefly offered his services to the Chinese government and was assigned to capture the brothers Han, Chang, Lin, Sun, and Ho Tao-Yu (the Collective Man), who had escaped imprisonment; but Ho Ti relented in his pursuit upon seeing the joy that the brothers' presence brought to their sick mother. The Warriors Three were put on trial for accidentally killing a giant who had shape-shifted into an aquatic beast. As punishment they were sentenced to retrieve several difficult items from various pantheons and return them to the father of the dead giant. This included the sword Grasscutter from Yomi guarded by Mikaboshi. Inari, the rice god, helped Wolverine and the Miko priestess Mana against Mana's corrupt sister Hana and the shinma demon Ryuki by revealing Ryuki's weakness to gold, which Wolverine exploited. Return of Mikaboshi Meanwhile, Mikaboshi remained in Yomi, biding his time as he usurped control of the legions of shinma demons, oni, and other evil spirits inhabiting the underworld. He eventually acquired Kusanagi, the mystical Grasscutter Sword once wielded by the storm god Susanoo, and used it to destroy many of the lesser kami and force the surviving Amatsu-Kami into hiding. Mikaboshi then launched a full-scale invasion into the Olympian realm, abducting Alexander Aaron (demigod son of the Olympian war god Ares) and tricking him into nearly killing his father and becoming the new Olympian war god. Ares ultimately returned his son to his senses, while Inari joined forces with the Olympian god Hermes and tricked the Amatsu-Kami and Olympians into forming an alliance despite their pride. Together, the Amatsu-Kami and Olympians defeated Mikaboshi and his demonic forces, but not before Olympian ruler Zeus was slain and the realm of Olympus was virtually destroyed and rendered uninhabitable. | Habitat = Earth-like | Gravity = Normal | Atmosphere = Normal | Population = | Powers = Superhuman Strength: All members of the Japanese pantheon possess some degree of superhuman strength. Though not as physically powerful as some other pantheons, such as the Asgardians or Olympians, the average male Aboriginal god is able to lift about 20 tons while the average goddess is able to lift about 10 tons. Superhuman Speed: Each member of the pantheon is able to run and move at speeds that are beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human specimen, though the upper limit of the speed varies between members. Superhuman Stamina: The musculature of the Japanese gods is much more efficient than that of a human being. Their muscles produce considerably less fatigue toxins during physical activities than those of humans. The average god and goddess can exert themselves at peak capacity for roughly 24 hours before the build up of fatigue toxins in their blood begins to impair them. Superhuman Durability: The skin, bone and muscle tissues of the gods are much tougher and more resistant to physical injury than the bodies of humans. The average Japanese god and goddess is capable of withstanding falls from great heights, exposure to temperature extremes, great impacts and high caliber bullets without sustaining injury. Superhumanly Dense Tissue: The density of a Japanese god’s bodily tissues is about twice that of a human being, contributing somewhat to their great strength. As a result, they’re actually much heavier than they appear to be. Regenerative Healing Factor: It is possible for the Japanese gods to sustain injury. If injured, their extremely efficient metabolisms enable them to rapidly heal damaged bodily tissue much more extensively than a human is capable of. The average god or goddess, however, is unable to regenerate missing limbs or organs. Superhuman Longevity: Though not immortal in the same sense as some other god pantheons, the Japanese gods age at a considerably slower rate than humans. However, they're not completely immune to aging and can potentially die of old age. They are immune to the effects of all known Earthly diseases and infections. However, this doesn't mean that they can’t die. It is possible for them to sustain injuries, such as being incinerated for instance, that can cause their physical deaths. It’s possible, however, for a number of gods working together to resurrect a deceased member if his or her life essence is beyond resurrection. Superhuman Agility: All members of the Japanese pantheon possess agility, balance and bodily coordination beyond the natural physical limits of the finest human specimen. Superhuman Reflexes: The reflexes of an Japanese god are also enhanced to superhuman levels. The reflexes of the Aboriginal gods are proportionally superior to those of most other god pantheons as a means of balancing out their typically inferior levels of physical strength. Shapeshifting: Most Japanese gods are highly skilled metamorphs and can shift all portions of their bodies into the shapes of animals, inanimate objects, other humanoid beings, etc. Mystical Energies: Many Japanese gods also possess additional superhuman abilities that are magical in nature. A common example of this is to be able to open magical gateways to other realms or dimensions. A few of them, however, are more advanced. Kaminari, the Japanese Goddess of Lightning for example, is capable of summoning and creating storms as well as controlling lightning. | Abilities = | AvgStrength = | Weaknesses = | GovernmentType = Imperial | TechnologyLevel = Magic | CulturalTraits = Aside from their various superhuman abilities, the Japanese gods typically appear in forms that are identical to, or at least closely resemble, the form of human beings. However, some of them typically have unusual physical characteristics such as Kagutsuchi, the God of Fire, as his hair appears to be composed of mystic flame in his more usual form. | Representatives = - * Amaterasu * Bishamon * Inari * Izanagi * Kaminari * Susa-No-O-Izumo * Ame-No-Mi-Kumari * Hotei * Kagutsuchi * Mikaboshi * Susanoo * Tsukuyomi | Notes = * In the Marvel Universe, Izanami, the goddess of the dead, has been confused with Gaea, as a Mother-Earth deity. In actual Japanese myth, Izanagi and Izanami are the children of In and Yo, the male and female embodiments of the universe. | Trivia = * In Japanese Mythology, "Amatsu-Kami" translates as "heavenly ones", "Kami" describing divine spirits. | Links = * Japanese Gods at the Guide to the Mythological Universe }} Category:Deities Category:Pantheons Category:Amatsu-Kami Category:Shintoism